are choke tubes enough for steel shot

[ASavageFox]

So I was reading on another forum and will admit to not being the most knowledgeable about ballistics, pellet contact with barrels, etc, etc, etc.... but the other poster basically stated that an old double such as a Fox would be safe to shoot with steel if Briley style choke tubes were installed. At some level this makes sense to me... the pellet should not contact the barrel walls until they hit the choke correct? This is why steel causes rings at the choke, right? Opinion and science desired. I have a fairly highly modified BE that I have considered having tubes put in anyways. Any thoughts on whether the thin wall chokes would be sufficiently strong?

[Twice Barrel]

the pellet should not contact the barrel walls until they hit the choke correct? This is why steel causes rings at the choke, right?

Actually the pellets in a properly constructed steel shot shell are separated from the barrels by the extra thick wad petals until they both exit the barrel. The reason that steel and other very hard non toxic shot causes rings or bulges in older non steel rated barrels is that the steel shot does not compress like lead or soft alloys which allows the shot charge to "flow" through the chokes constriction. This is also why most manufacturers do no recommend using full chokes when using steel shot. Steel shot rated barrels and chokes are significantly thicker than non steel rated barrels/chokes and can absorb the added strain of shooting steel shot. Briley is the authority on how well their thin wall chokes will handle steel shot but I suspect they will discourage it.

[birdawg]

My Briley thin wall tubes I had put in a BL 5, specifically say for lead only, not for steel.

[Dave Furman]

I recently had Briley install thinwall tubes in a gun and I asked them specifically about this. I believe the day is coming when we will be required to use nontoxic shot for even targets, so I wanted to make sure the gun would not be damaged by high-volume target shooting with steel shot, since any other nontox shot is pricey enough that it would put me out of business.
Gary at Briley specifically told me that their STEEL-RATED thinwall tubes would be fine for use with steel shot, hevishot, gravel or roofing nails. Call them up and ask yourself, they are the best source of info.
If you look on the Briley website, their thinwall tubes offer the choice of lead-only tubes or "any shot type" tubes for an additional $20 per tube. Same threads.
http://www.briley.com/brileythinwallflushchoke.aspx

[birdawg]

That is good news Dave.
I am glad they now offer steel tubes.

[ASavageFox]

Thanks for the info... I planned to call them today but the work day got away from me, as many Mondays do...

Figured someone here would have good info on this...

Cheers

Drew

[ASavageFox]

Talked to Briley today... $500 for installation into a double and includes wrench and 5 choke tubes. 2-3 week turn around.

that's only about 10 boxes of shells when you figure nice-shot is $50 more than steel.

[birdawg]

Just remember there are other differences between nice shot and steel. Nice shot carries and kills.
Oh i know, there are many who have shot steel for years now and adjusted to it but, it just ain't the same

[Silvers]

Something that hasn't been mentioned as yet: Briley thinwall choke tubes are about 2-7/8" long and Fox tapered chokes are typically 4 to 4-1/2" long. Briley counterbores the muzzles for its thinwall choke system but that will leave up to 1-1/2" of leade (start of the choke taper) left in the barrel. You might ask them about the hoop stress developed when a steel shot charge passes through the leade, i.e., will the relatively soft steel Fox tubes develop bulges ahead of the chokes over time? Of course they can backbore to remove the leade and in fact I had that done twice now when I had thinwalls installed in Winchester competition guns with high tensile steel barrels. Of course if they recommend removing the leade in Fox tubes it will alter the payout calculation. Silvers

[ASavageFox]

I should have posted but assumed that most here would have already considered but when I talked to them, I asked specifically about that and they recommended boring the "leade" out of the gun...